How to correctly store your suit

A good quality suit is a practical and stylish investment for your wardrobe. Having spent a significant amount of money on one or multiple suits, it is essential that you correctly store your formalwear to ensure that it lasts, looks its best and is ready to wear whenever you need it. Here, we'll show you the proper steps in caring for and storing your suit at home and when you travel.

How to prepare your suit for storage

Before storing your suit, you must ensure that it is clean. If you don’t need to dry clean your suit and there are no visible marks or odours, you can prepare your suit for storage by gently brushing it over with a suit brush and lint roller to remove any dust and lint from the fibres.

What is the best way to store a suit?

The correct way to store your suit is inside a breathable garment bag that can then be hung up in a clean and dry, enclosed space that is away from direct sunlight.

By storing your suit in these conditions, you will help to avoid irreparable damage caused by moths and environmental factors such as the sun's rays, dust, humidity and mould.

Choosing the right suit storage accessories

We recommend hanging your clean suit on a heavy-duty natural wood hanger before placing it inside the garment bag. By choosing a sturdy hanger featuring sloped edges, you can ensure that your suit will not crease or pucker. Avoid hanging your suit on flimsy wire or plastic hangers that will inevitably dip and sag over time. 

Should I dry clean my suit before storing it?

Depending on how frequently you wear your suit and its condition after wearing it, you may wish to dry clean your suit. Dry cleaning is, however, not recommended after every wear as it is a harsh process, and you risk damaging the material.

You can spot clean surface-level stains at home if you feel it necessary. Always follow the care label inside your suit on how to clean it correctly to avoid damaging your investment.

Did you know? Wool suits are particularly prone to insect damage if they are not correctly cleaned before storing. This can be due to insects laying undetectable tiny eggs inside the woollen fibres. The dry cleaning chemical process can help kill any insect eggs laid in the threads.

What is the best long-term suit storage?

If you wear your suit infrequently, you will need to consider its long-term storage place.

Follow the below steps for the best way to store your suit long term.

1. Clean your suit as per label instructions and your personal assessment of the kind of clean it requires.
2. Brush over your suit to remove any lint and dust.
3. Hang your suit jacket from a broad, rounded edge hanger and place your folded trousers over the bar.
4. Put your suit inside a breathable garment bag. Avoid plastic garment bags that can accrue moisture.
5. Place the garment bag inside a dry, dark space. Your wardrobe is recommended if possible. Avoid storing your suit in the loft or basement, as the environmental temperature fluctuates too much, and your suit can be susceptible to damage.

If you don't have hanging space for your suit in your wardrobe or you would like to store lesser worn formalwear, you can follow the steps above and place your garment bag carefully inside a large, airtight container.

If you've been storing your suit for a long period of time, don't forget to let it air out for 24-48 hours before you plan to wear it.

And don't forget your shoes.

When storing your formal shoes, ensure that they are kept in a clean, dry, enclosed space, preferably in a shoe box.  A shoe tree or paper stuffing is recommended to help maintain the shape of your shoe while you're not wearing them.

How to properly store your formalwear when you travel

Whether you're travelling for business or pleasure, you may need to pack a suit for the occasion. Travelling with formalwear may seem daunting, especially on an aircraft, but it need not be by following these simple steps.

We recommend packing a durable suit made from a material less prone to creasing, such as a tweed or velvet suit.

 If you don't have a suit made out of a travel-friendly fabric, or you are travelling to a warm climate, we recommend travelling with a suit that is dark in colours, such as black or dark navy or grey. The darker base will help any creasing to be less noticeable.

Start by laying your suit inside a travel-appropriate garment bag. To help prevent heavy creasing, fold the arms of your suit towards the back of your jacket. If you can, take your suit as part of your carry-on luggage. This way, you still have your suit with you if your main luggage didn't arrive at the destination with you.

Remove your suit from the garment bag as soon as you arrive and let it air out in a cool, dark, clean space.

By correctly caring for and storing your suit, it will last you for years to come. If you're looking to add to your suit collection, or are simply on the lookout for a new quality suit, discover our exquisite range of men's suits.